Himachal
Places to Visit
Top 10 Globally renowned temples of Kullu-Manali you must visit
Planning a trip to Kullu-Manali? Don’t miss visiting these
culturally and archaeologically most significant temples in the valley of the gods. Even if you are a non-believer.
There are over 360 deities in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh. Almost every village has a deity and a temple of its own. No wonder, Kullu is also called ‘the valley of the gods.’ And in this valley of the gods, there are some hugely popular and globally famous temples. These places of worship are not only sites of pilgrimages visited by people from India and abroad but also have great cultural, historical and archaeological significance.
Go through this list to decide for yourself in which temple you want to ring the auspicious bell first.
Have a super nice trip to Kullu-Manali!
1. Basheshar Mahadev temple
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple of Basheshar Mahadev is located in Bajaura, a small town located around 15 kms from Kullu. Basheshar Mahadev temple is around 1300 years old, making it one of the oldest stone temples of the Kullu valley. This temple is historically as well as archaeologically one of the most significant monuments of Kullu district. The temple has been studied in great detail by some of the eminent historians, archaeologists and epigraphists including J Ph Vogel and Odette Viennot.
Basheshar temple has an imposing structure with a ‘fat tower’ or shikhra. A repeated pattern of exquisite carvings of pot and foliage runs along the outer walls of the temple and on the four sides and miniature towers rise with a sunk Bhadramukha in the centre, showing three faces of Lord Shiva (creator, protector and destroyer) on each side.
2. Bijli Mahadev temple
Bijli Mahadev is the most popular Shiva temple of Kullu valley. Overlooking the Beas and Parvati valleys, Bijli Mahadev temple is situated on a mountain top at an altitude of around 2300 meters. Standing on the top here, you get stunning views of the Bhuntar and Kullu towns below and snow-capped mountain ranges above.
The temple got its name due to the fact that lightning (Bijli) strikes the Shiva lingam, breaking it into small pieces. The pieces are collected and joined together by the temple priest using home-made butter collected from the nearby villages.
To reach the Bijli Mahadev temple there are two ways — from Kullu and Parvati valley. The temple remains closed in winters as the entire mountain top receives heavy snowfall.
Read the Wildcone’s complete travel guide to Bijli Mahadev here.
3. Krishna temple
A stone temple, Krishna or Murlidhar temple is in Naggar village, which was the capital of erstwhile Kullu princely state. Located on a hilltop, known locally as Thawa, the temple was built to promote Vishnu worship in the Kullu valley. The architectural style of this temple is similar to that of Basheshar Mahadev temple of Bajaura with a tower on the top and excellent carvings on the outer walls. To reach this temple, you have to do a small trek of less than a kilometre which goes through a charming forest.
If you are in Naggar, don’t miss visiting the rest of the interesting places.
4. Tripura Sundari temple
This is another old temple located in Naggar near the iconic Naggar Castle. Dedicated to the Mother Goddess (The beauty of the three worlds), Tripura Sundari temple is built in a Pagoda style of architecture. The temple is known for its fine wooden carvings and the stunning exterior look.
5. Jagatipatt temple
Another historic temple in Naggar to visit is the Jagatipatt temple, which is located adjacent to the Naggar Castle. The temple has a triangular flat rock slab in its courtyard. According to a legend, a swarm of bees had carried the rock slab from Rohtang Pass to this temple.
This temple is the most significant one in the Kullu valley as local Rajas used to promulgate royal orders and rules from here during the erstwhile days of the kings and queens.
6. Hadimba temple
Easily one of the most famous temples of Himachal Pradesh, Hadimba temple is located in the middle of a thick Deodar forest in Manali. Dedicated to demon goddess Hadimba, the temple was got constructed by Raja Bahadur Singh of the erstwhile Kullu princely state in 1553 AD.
This wooden temple is built in the pagoda style and has three cascading wooden roofs, whose width rises in descending order from top to down. An annual fair is held in the courtyard of Hadimba temple. There was a time when animals used to be sacrificed here as part of the temple rituals. But were humans ever sacrificed at the Hadimba temple?
7. Vashisht temple
Dedicated to sage Vashishth, this wood-and-stone temple is in Vashisht village, which is around 3 kms from Manali town. According to a legend, sage Vashishth had meditated here on the bank of Beas river and that’s how the village and temple got their name. Interestingly, sage Vashishth is worshipped here as a deity and like Hadimba goddess has a higher standing among all the deities of the Kullu valley.
The Vashisht temple is a place of pilgrimage for not only the local people but also for the deities of the Kullu valley, who visit this place and ‘take a bath’ in the adjacent hot water springs once a year.
8. Gayatri temple
Located in Jagatsukh village, which is around 6 kms from Manali, the Gayatri temple was built in the early 8th century. Jagatsukh was the original capital of the former princely state of Kullu where the early kings ruled for twelve generations before the capital was transferred to Naggar and eventually to Sultanpur.
The pent-roofed wooden temple houses a black stone image of Lord Vishnu and a white marble image of Sandhya Gayatri that dates back to about 15th century.
9. Gauri Shankar temple
Situated right behind the Gayatri temple in Jagatsukh is the Gauri Shankar temple. Built in between 8th and 9th century and dedicated to Lord Shiva, this stone temple is also one of the oldest temples of the Kullu valley. The temple was declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1929 due to its artistic and archaeological importance.
One of the finest examples of stonework, Gauri Shankar temple has an architectural design similar to other stone temples of the valley. The temple enshrines a lingam in its sanctum sanctorum.
10. Manu temple
Located in Old Manali, Manu temple is the only temple in India dedicated to Vaivasvata Manu, who as per the Indian mythology, is the progenitor of the human race. According to a legend, after the great deluge, Manu started living in the mountains here and the place became known as Manualaya (the abode of Manu). Manali town is named after Manu and the word ‘Manali’ has come from ‘Manualaya’ only.
The wood-and-stone Manu temple has its roof built in the Pagoda style. A congested road takes you to the temple, which is situated at the top of the village. The road is too narrow so you should either walk up to the temple or hire an auto or a cab.
Kullu Manali top temples video
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